2024-04-13 11:07:37
Good finance ministers are not measured by how much more money they give out and how they bankrupt the state
The state has not gone bankrupt and will not go bankrupt, but this is so not because of the things that happened in the last 3 years, but because of the previous 20 years.
This was stated by the economist and former deputy prime minister and minister in the “Sakskoburggotski” and “Stanishev” offices Nikolay Vassilev to bTV.
From being the most indebted country in the world in 1997, we became the second least indebted country in Europe in 2008-2009 and until recently. In recent years, we have gone back down the slide and if we continue like this, we can have big problems, Vassilev warned. He reminded that he is the most consistent critic of the current financial policy from 2021 until now.
Vassilev summarized the policy of the last finance minister as follows: We take on as much debt as possible, spend as much as possible, and have huge deficits. If there was no Maastricht criterion, which we violated several times over the years, we would be heading for an endless deficit – 5-10%. Zero reforms and the more we spend the better.
Good finance ministers are not measured by how much more money they give out and how they bankrupt the state. The current finance minister is not the champion of pension increases, but the Videnov government, and in the end, we ended up with pensions of 2-3 dollars, Vassilev summarized.
I am in favor of raising pensions and salaries, but it is not done with deficits and loans, but with high economic growth and investments, for economic policies that no one has been talking about for years – privatization, concessions, public-private partnerships, foreign direct investments and others, he added.
When all the political parties in a row have no vision for the development of the country and cannot bring to an end a single reform – judicial, etc., zero reform in the state for years, Vassilev also commented.
He criticizes that there are no policies to deal with the demographic crisis.
There are no measures of demographics, and the results are the lowest birth rates since probably before World War II. Every year the birth rate decreases, and in recent years it has dropped to 50 and several thousand and is between 2 and 8 thousand lower than the previous one. In the 1980s, 80 was 120 thousand, at the end of the triple coalition it was 80 and a few thousand, now it is 50 and a few thousand. What height? This is a lie, demagoguery and incompetence, commented the former deputy prime minister.
He again recalled his measures to deal with the demographic crisis.
I raise because of inflation from 20 thousand BGN for a newborn child to 25 thousand BGN. All kindergartens must be built immediately and immediately, so that the mayor does not have to do anything else. And child allowances should be raised 4 times. I am not saying that this will give birth to 100 thousand children, but I just want to tell you that if 100 thousand children are not born – that is, double from now, you may not have grandchildren and they may not live in Bulgaria, Vassilev addressed the presenters .
The country is absolutely unprepared for a migrant wave, and we are dealing with poodles, complete absurdity, Vassilev commented.
In 5 years, it won’t matter at all who was in that cabinet. These are trivial matters, but where are the other matters we are talking about, he asked.
During all 6 elections, I hoped for a strong reformist pro-Western government and I continue to hope, Vassilev also said.
I sympathize with Mrs. Gabriel, she didn’t deserve what happened to her, she could have been a better leader, but the whole assembly and all the chaos of the last years predetermined this result, Vassilev concluded.